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$550 PC Build That Plays It All - Gamers Nexus

Gamers Nexus writes, "This rig is affordable - costing you only slightly more than an ultra-budget system - and powerful - consisting of a Phenom II X4 quad-core (with amazing L3 cache and cache per core ratios), an ATi 6870, and 8GB of beautifully heat-spread memory modules - clocking in at 1600MHz (PC3 12800 RAM). Oh, and there's more, too."

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gamersnexus.net
lugia 40004640d ago

"$550 PC Build That Plays It All"

Doesn't play Crysis 2 DX11 or Crysis maxed out

WolfLeBlack4640d ago

He never said it would play it all at max settings, just that it would play it.

darkziosj4639d ago

@WolfLeBlack 500$ just to play it? get a ps3 or 360

Dee_914639d ago (Edited 4639d ago )

@dark or get both for cheaper than 550
and literally play them "all" lol

Darkfocus4639d ago

you realize even not maxed out it'll still look significantly better than ps3/360 right -_-

MaxXAttaxX4639d ago (Edited 4639d ago )

I'm still waiting for that price-matching PC to make me switch from my $250 consoles .....no? k.

iPlayGamez4639d ago

i have a 6870.

it plays Crysis on VERY HIGH, full HD and i get 30 or more FPS at all times. it isnt "maxed" but this card can play every game on very high (from my experience) so this is actually a really good deal and setup for people looking for a gaming PC. and yeah it's much more powerful than a console.

that being said, i hate all this crap about PC gaming being cheap...IT'S NOT, it costs alot and they didnt even include Windows OS and a gaming mouse to the final price. oh and a cooling system TOO!

2pacalypsenow4639d ago (Edited 4639d ago )

I would rather play on a console if im not gonna be able to max it out on a pc

Dee_914639d ago

@iPlayGamez
i got a 9890 son what !

Saladfax4639d ago

@iplay

You save money in games. I've bought 3 games at "full" price in the last year: Witcher 2 ($45), Deus Ex: HR ($45), and Portal 2 ($40). I bought them right away to support developers, but I imagine I could have saved a considerable amount by waiting, as I've done with many other titles (Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Arkham Asulum, Bioshock, Dead Space, etc).

I have 152 games on Steam. At least 95% has been under 20 dollars. I'd wager 80% as being under 10.

I'd have to guess that 2/3rds (or 66.6% if you like consistency) were at $5 or under. Steam loves my wallet, and by jove I love saving money.

Sarcasm4639d ago (Edited 4639d ago )

This PC will max out 90% of games on the market while still maintaining a solid 30-40+fps in Crysis 2 with Max settings at REAL 1080p. What do you console kids not understand?

NewMonday4639d ago

how dose it handle Battlefield 3?

PotatoClock4639d ago

"I'm still waiting for that price-matching PC to make me switch from my $250 consoles"

I'm still waiting for a console to actually last more than a couple of years. Have you not learnt anything from cheap Chinese goods that a little extra cost for quality saves you money in the long run?

Even then, you seriously spend way more than $550 on one console and games by the end of it, while the PC enjoys cheaper day 1 game prices, daily sales from Steam and no XBL, PSN+ monthly costs.

Consoles being cheaper is a Myth.

Pekka4639d ago

@PotatoClock: My console has lasted 3,5 years easily and I have played with 8-year-old console too. I would say most consoles last even longer than normal PC (360 is an expection). And you don't pay $550 for PC because you also pay for OS, keyboard and mouse. Also, you have to count monitor to costs too unless you play PC on TV.

Oh, and you don't need to pay PSN+, if you don't want to. You don't need PSN+ to play online. You can even buy all PS3 games online without PSN+.

Btw. If I buy a PC, I expect it to play every game at high details for next 5 years. And this with zero updates on hardware or even OS of course.

Megaton4639d ago

I can play Crysis 2 on high on my pathetic 5450. That game is brutally consolized.

decrypt4639d ago

Lol console gamers are forgetting they pay more per game. Why not consider that when making a price comparison, Sad majority of them even pay to go online lol.

limewax4639d ago

@Pekka

You probably shouldn't ever buy another PC or console then, neither will play games maxed out 5 years down the line. Do you think your console maxes out Deus Ex or Dead Island? or any other multiplat?

Lazy_Sunday4639d ago (Edited 4639d ago )

Crysis 2 DX11 maxed out? Come on, that's a dumb statement, most cards aren't capable of running that at a preferred framerate--namely because they didn't optimize the code, they just slapped the update on the game. It's to your PC what wearing a fur coat in Vegas is to you. I'll tell you what though, it will run any game better than consoles. In fact I can already tell that you'll be able to max out Battlefield 3 at it's console resolution (and even at console resolution, BF3 won't be maxed out)--and then run it at 60FPS+ like it's a whole new game. Just make a custom resolution of 1280x704, in-game turn every graphical setting on and up to 11 (this is a figure of speech), and then make sure your graphics card's rendering quality is set to "quality" instead of performance so you automatically do at least 4x anti-aliasing.
BAM! $550 is all the sudden a value purchase.

Anon19744638d ago

A quick question, based on observation. Is it just me, or are PC gamers touchy this gen about making sure everyone remembers how great PC gaming is?

I was PC gaming since the start, and as game console started to crop up, PC gamers have always enjoyed an advantage over them, but I can't recall ever rubbing it in people's faces. When everyone was going nuts about GoldenEye, PC gamers were happily playing Unreal, Quake 2, Counterstrike - but I never remember anyone playing GoldenEye and constantly reminding everyone in the room how awesome HalfLife was.

Even last gen we weren't subjected to these "Build a gaming rig for $X dollars" ads like we are today, nor did I ever remember seeing the smug reminders that "PC gaming is the bestest" ever 10th post on the forums like we do this gen.

No one doubts a high end PC can play games. This isn't a battle against console users that PC gamers have to win. It's about the way we play more than anything. Console gamers aren't console gamers because they don't know PC's have games too. Console gamers choose their consoles because of ease of use, and consoles will always be the more straight forward way to get your game on. That's just how it is. PC gamers shouldn't be so concerned about making sure that everyone knows they still exist on sites like this. It just makes them look insecure.

+ Show (14) more repliesLast reply 4638d ago
Motorola4640d ago

HD 6870 could play Crysis 2 DX 11....I don't know how well it could play when put together with the Phenom 2 X4 but the card is capable of doing it.

StoneyYoshi4639d ago (Edited 4639d ago )

i have a 6850 Vsync on all settings maxed at 1080p with dx 11 i get no higher than 24 frames. the 6870 will have no problem, it has a good performance difference that the 6850. probably get around 40 fps crisis 2 maxed.

SantistaUSA4639d ago

hey dontbhatin you could improve your frames per second, for some reason crysis games when used with vsync when played at 1080p it will lock at 24 fps, it drove me crazy because I have a powerful system and knew I should be getting better performance! I have a evga gtx 570, the trick was to make a custom resolution, 1080p we all know is 1920x1080, so I custom made one for 1918X1080, it is still 1080p, and you will get a lot more FPS!!!

my rig is:

i7 960
6gb ddr3 ram corsair
64gb ssd
120gb intel ssd
1 tb
gtx 570
55" samsung ledtv
logitech 5500 surround sound
claro plus sound card

B00M4639d ago

My 6870 can play Crysis 2 maxed very well, but as soon as I turn on tessellation the fps plummets.

limewax4639d ago (Edited 4639d ago )

That's probably because its an ATI. Not bashing them at all by the way, just like to point out that a Nvidia Fermi card has significantly less performance drop when using tessellation. (as I am sure you are probably aware but for anyone who isn't)

Deputydon4639d ago

Yeah. It's definitely because of his ATI card. I have a GTX 560 Ti and it gets a steady 50-60 fps on Crysis 2 even with tessellation on. Crysis 1 actually runs worse for me at about 40-50 fps. Both at max.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 4639d ago
5yN4MWQU4640d ago

It will handle Crysis 2 on Dx11 quite capably. Crysis will effortlessly max out - you need to stay more up-to-date on video hardware :)

Darkfocus4639d ago (Edited 4639d ago )

crysis won't effortlessly max out. at 720p it will but at 1080you'll get between 26ish min to 45ish average fps. I own 2 6870's and I have a better processor, mobo and ram and those were my framerates in single card mode.

Deputydon4639d ago

LOL darkfocus I think you are doing something wrong. I have an single GTX 560 Ti and I can run Crysis 2 at Max settings in 1080p and get about 50-60 fps. Even with DirectX 11 and tessellation and all that crap.

--Onilink--4638d ago

i think darkfocus means crysis 1, which is considerably less optimized than crysis 2, most rigs will get less FPS on Crysis 1 than Crysis 2

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4638d ago
gw4k4640d ago

@ lugia 4000

Please forgive him. He isn't know for begin very bright.

AAWELLS094639d ago

Doesnt really sound like you are either judging that comment of yours.

On-topic:
I have this very card and it plays all games maxed out.

SIX4639d ago (Edited 4639d ago )

gw4k is either epic fail, or awesome troll. Don't know which lol.

Iroquois_Pliskin4639d ago

o lol i think gawk means " he isnt known for being very bright"

gw4k4639d ago

God I love predictive text! Always there to make you look awesome at just the right time. Haha

Man-hands on a candybar sized phone!

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 4639d ago
Baka-akaB4639d ago

as if playing that dissapointing game maxxed out matters .

Bottom line is it would play everygame games well enough , including crysis 2

SH0CKW4VE4639d ago (Edited 4639d ago )

since when do pokemon own computers?

The beautiful irony of PC gaming is that the best experiences to be had will run on almost any machine.

The "you need a NASA worthy computer to have fun" myth is ever present.

f7897904639d ago

Fun Fact:Do you know what a NASA worthy computer is? The space shuttle runs off of 1MB of RAM. The most powerful computers NASA has are laptops in front of the old command center consoles.

NCAzrael4639d ago

@f789790

Not to nitpick, but I think you need to check your facts. Yes, the space shuttle runs on technology made prior to 1981. NASA, however, has far more powerful computers than simple laptops in the command center. NASA doesn't just launch a few people into space now and then, they constantly launch unmanned craft and satellites and capture and process tons of data from those sources. They house their own internal network servers, which are way more powerful than anything you would find in your average (even above average) PC owner's home.

Just saying.

Ingram4639d ago

@NCAzrael

Not to nitpick but NASA are a world renowned resource hog, their physics are superb, their engineers are clearly subpar.You can argue all you want I won't enter in such debate, I've been a crazy for space stuff and I've done my homework; they just seem to need millions to build cheap shit.

callahan094639d ago

@ lugia 4000: Quote, "Doesn't play Crysis 2 DX11 or Crysis maxed out"

Um. It definitely does play Crysis 2 in DX11. No question about that. Crysis maxed out, well, that defends on what you mean by maxed out? According to reviews of this card in a similar machine, it should be able to get close to 45 frames per second with a minimum dip of about 30 frames per second, at Very High settings, 4x AA, 1920x1200 resolution. If that's not good enough performance for you at a budget price like this then I don't know what the hell else you could ask for. You could spend double this and not get much more significant performance out of Crysis.

limewax4639d ago

Even a 3072mb GTX580 will see frame drops below 60 in both those games, there is only so much a card can do, the rest comes down to the code the game runs on. I will be surprised if we ever see crysis stay above 60FPS throughout the entire game, it just doesn't seem to work, Maybe triple SLI 580's but that's excessive

callahan094639d ago

I agree. I think lugia 4000 has unfairly lofty expectations for what a gaming rig should be, especially if you want to spend less than a 1000 dollars. The rig specified in this article is surprisingly awesome for a really great price.

badz1494639d ago

Dude, stop embarrassing yourself like that. I am mainly a console gamer but even I know that 6870 can handle all Crysis very well at dx11. The "can it run Crysis?" joke is now on you!

clrlite4639d ago

Yeah, I'm aware of that. I've just grown tired of hearing people talking about crysis system requirements. It's time to talk about battlefield and the many other awesome games that are out. Thanks for the system reqs though, I was wondering about the specifics.

kramun4639d ago

So lugia 4000 is your other account then clearelite?

badz1494639d ago

I think he was replying for my comment down there.

BlmThug4639d ago

Who cares about Crysis 2? I want metro last light and BF3

StoneyYoshi4639d ago (Edited 4639d ago )

@ lugia 4000

I bet you it can. i have crisis 1 maxed on a 6850. phenom 2 x4 3.4 over clocked at 3.7 with 4 gigs of G.skill gaming ram and i play crisis 1 maxed at 40 to 50 frames.

crysis 2 with dx11 maxed i get no higher tan 24 frames and thats with vsync on. so a 6870 is much better than a 6850 so id guess around 40 frames maxed with this budget system

wsoutlaw874639d ago

whats the point of this article, what is this a shopping network. Pcs can be a good gaming experience but when you cant play on max then just get a ps3 or 360 and not have to deal with crap visuals or frame rate

clrlite4639d ago (Edited 4639d ago )

I don't care, as long as it plays Counterstrike GO, Battlefield 3, The Witcher 2, etc. at decent settings. Crysis Isn't really my thing. Although some people really dig it apparently. BTW, I probably wouldn't build that rig.

badz1494639d ago

BF3 will require higher spec than Crysis.

BF3
Minimum
OS: Windows Vista or Windows 7
Processor: Core 2 Duo @ 2.0GHz
RAM: 2GB
Graphic card: DirectX 10 or 11 compatible Nvidia or AMD ATI card.
Graphics card memory: 512 MB

Recommended
OS: Windows 7 64-bit
Processor: Quad-core Intel or AMD CPU
RAM: 4GB
Graphics card: DirectX 11 Nvidia or AMD ATI card, GeForce GTX 460, Radeon Radeon HD 6850
Graphics card memory: 1 GB

Crysis
Minimum
OS - Windows XP or Windows Vista
Processor - 2.8 GHz or faster (XP) or 3.2 GHz or faster* (Vista)
Memory - 1.0 GB RAM (XP) or 1.5 GB RAM (Vista)
Video Card -256 MB**

Recommended
OS - Windows XP / Vista
Processor - Intel Core 2 DUO @ 2.2GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+
Memory - 2.0 GB RAM
GPU - NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS/640 or similar

hadriker4639d ago

@NathanExplosion

how much was the PC your using to type this message out? 300.00 maybe if its a super budget computer. so for the price of a regular console you've just turned your super budget pc into a machine that is way more powerful than any console. and will run any current gen game on med - high settings.

keep on perpetuating that myth that its more expensive.

ATi_Elite4639d ago (Edited 4639d ago )

A HD6870 can max out Crysis2 DX11. Max graphics DX11 4xAA 1080p

http://www.guru3d.com/artic...

Now Metro2033.....NO WAY!!

Oh and $500 for a gaming pc is pretty good especially seeing how it's a PC that does more than play games.

For the life of me i Do not know why people act like all a PC does is play games. Sorry but Ps3/360 can not run Excel, Quicken Books, MS Office, or Burn Movies/CD's.

so remember that the next time you bring up the $500 PC versus $250 console crap!

50Terabytespersec4639d ago

LMAO rebates!!!
Loser get a life!! by the time thoose rebates come in and after taxes this waste of life and time will cost you more in time aka female companionship,money for well rounded education and job,and culture . and most of all an actual computer that is affordable.
PASS this is a joke.
I build 300 dollar render nodes and this is just a cheap rebate retard example..
Also FPS games get old after awhile very old very fast. PC's should be used to help in medical not just numb the nerd girls/boys out there.

ninjahunter4639d ago

it will play both of those maxed, i have a laptop with a (m14x)555m gt and i can max crysis out and almost max dx11 crysis 2. This rig is pushing 10x stronger than mine

bubblebobble4639d ago (Edited 4639d ago )

every one here is spaming on about crysis max this crysis 2 very high that. did any of you see them comparison photos of crysis 1 maxed on pc and crysis on ps3, the ps3 abliterated it, it looked 5 times better. it made me laugh when pc fanboys were saying they must of messed the photos up, yer coz they always do that. crysis is not the best looking game its coded that bad on pc thats y you have trouble playing it. when it comes out on ps3 youll see how it would look on 2011 hardware youll see trust kevdee bubblebobble.

justlikeme4639d ago

I'm sure it would if he played at 720P.

Xheis4639d ago

@Pekka I should say, I created this account just so I could reply.
"My console has lasted 3,5 years easily"
No hard feat, games are aimed at the middle-tiered gamer, the average gamer with the average gear which is an advantage to a console as the more people who have them, the easier it is to please large masses of people with the same quality parts.
"I have played with 8-year-old console too."
Briefly, this doesn't actually help to prove your point, we all play retro consoles. 8-year old consoles are sixth gen such as the gamecube, xbox, dreamcast and ps2. I can also pull out my windows 98 computer and play starcraft.
The life time of a gaming device (be it computer or console) is whether or not you can play new games or if new games are still being made for it. So the wii is still 'alive' but the original xbox isn't.
"I would say most consoles last even longer than normal PC (360 is an expection)."
By my previous point, the opposite should be true. My 5 year old rig can play games now, just in-adequately as opposed to a console (also 5 years old) not being able to play it at the same specs [citation: http://goo.gl/gydZJ at the stock 700 clock]
And you don't pay $550 for PC because you also pay for OS, keyboard and mouse. [ http://goo.gl/N7nLy | http://goo.gl/1Glmf | http://goo.gl/GdaN or http://goo.gl/RHtdd ]
"Also, you have to count monitor to costs too unless you play PC on TV."
This is a very legitimate point, but I should suggest that if this is a budget build, to use a tv.

"Oh, and you don't need to pay PSN+, if you don't want to. You don't need PSN+ to play online. You can even buy all PS3 games online without PSN+."
The equivalent of PSN+ is free on the PC platform in the form of dedicated servers/demo's/free-to-pla y/free updates(most notably, the COD series)/cloud saving and hell, even flashgames. There are more but this has been covered before.
"Btw. If I buy a PC, I expect it to play every game at high details for next 5 years. And this with zero updates on hardware or even OS of course."
I will approach this in in two parts. -
"I expect it to play every game at high details for next 5 years"
In essence, this could be possible considering that the Xbox360 has a projected life that will end in 2015. This computer has a GPU 3 times better than the Xbox360. Developers are currently making games to scale for most gaming devices on the market. As a majority of the market own a Xbox360, developers will continue making games for it. This computer should be able to play the game 3 times as well as any game released on the Xbox for the next 4 years.
secondly, "And this with zero updates on hardware or even OS of course."
This will never be possible. Take the most current example of Dead Island, it was release 'Half-baked' if you will, which required day 1 updates which still haven't fixed it. The same updates are required for many other games (COD4:MW 1 - 3, Fallout series etc.). Secondly, the consoles and Windows 7 OS are both past the half-way mark of their life-span so they probably could be played with zero updates.
If anyone here haven't got a gaming PC, this is a very good build that would please any gamer, whether console or PC. Please, oh god please purchase a new computer as opposed to an old console, simply because we have new consoles coming out 2012-2013.

B00M4639d ago

I have a similar build with a 6870, AMD Phenom 2 X4 955BE, 4GB RAM. It plays Crysis maxed out at 1080p. My FPS ranges from 30-50fps. So Im sure that rig with a slightly lower spec CPU could max Crysis. Crysis 2 with DX11 on my system suffers but its playable, but thats due to the stupid amount of tessellation that they use. So lugia 4000, your wrong.

+ Show (17) more repliesLast reply 4638d ago
-Alpha4640d ago (Edited 4640d ago )

I'm aiming for a $500-$1K PC max to play Battlefield 3 and other PC exclusives. Medium settings at least.

My friend went all out and paid $2K, but that's insanely out of my price range.

Letros4640d ago

~$800 should get you something that runs 99% of PC games maxed. Hit us up on the forums if you're interested in some build ideas.

-Alpha4640d ago

On N4G? Sure, I intend to build one before or sometime after the BF3 beta

badz1494639d ago

Did your friend got a Mac? Lol sorry, had to! Tell him there is no BF3 Mac version.

-Alpha4639d ago

Lol, I don't know what he got, but he did buy a monitor and speakers too.

I'm hoping I can stay under $1K, I'll definitely be around to ask for some assistance

HenryFord4639d ago

2k is totally possible - if you go for a big Intel i7, >12GB RAM (would guess he went around 16), harddrives (probably a SSD?), a good case with a good cooling system, two graphics card, blue-ray drive... If I would built my "dream-PC" I could easily fit 4k worth of parts into it (including monitor, mouse, keyboard, etc. of course), not that I will do that anytime soon...

GamerSciz4639d ago

I spent about $2k on a new computer I just built.

i7 2600K
8gb DDR3
2TB
EVGA GTX 580
CoolerMaster HAFX ATX-Full tower case
1000W Power Supply
Self Liquid Cooler for CPU
Logitech G500 Mouse
Saitek Cyborg Laser-Cut Keyboard

After all the shipping and full warranty on everything it came to be a total of around $2k. But I do 3D modeling and Gaming and with that rig I can do it all with ease.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 4639d ago
5yN4MWQU4640d ago

The article above will handle Battlefield 3 comfortably, the 6870 is an excellent card and this is a quad-core machine. Of course, you can also check out our $744 PC build, which uses a Sandy Bridge CPU (smaller architecture and combined graphics, integrated execution cores, PCI-e controllers, and memory functions all on one silicon chip).

If you go to the above article and then click on "$744 hardcore build," you will see the one I am talking about. As we always say, let us at GN know if you need help -- our hardware experts will make sure your build is compatible and accomplishes your goals.

hiredhelp4639d ago

my build unit was around 1k inc sli 560's

hiredhelp4639d ago

Ok i get disagrees np.
Coolermaster haf x £150
PSU corsair hx 1000watt £170
Mobo asrock fatality p67 £180
Cpu £250 ish
Memory 1600mhz £60 8gb
2x kfa2 oc ex gtx560 £160 each 905hmz at 1gb each.

Hmm. Ok i was bit over my rough estimate soo yeh in dollars thats what $1300
I do applogise for the under pricing. I dont just use this for gaming i do encodeing alot extracting too.
If i didnt i could save money. Down to prefrence end of the day and budget. Shop around get best deals. Having a top gaming board to a decent board isnt gonna really change your gameplay. Having a i7 to a i5 again not gonma make it better. Hell at night i use my partners computer core 2 duo that does most games even today.

death2smoochie4639d ago (Edited 4639d ago )

http://www.ibuypower.com/St...

That will cost you 1K and run BF3 easy at medium settings.
Some settings a bit higher

@Mika

after you spend that extra $5-$20 for the same exact game on your console that is on the PC, by years end depending on how many games you buy, that PC rig ends up cheaper.
You can play your PC with an Xbox360 or PS3 controller from your couch...on any viewing screen from multiple monitors to your HDTV.
You have that choice.
It's not just better graphics for PC gaming...its also CHOICE on how you want to play.
More fluid controls. 40+ frames for almost every game as opposed to 30fps or less that plague consoles.
Free DLC almost always.
Free MODS.
In the end PC gaming is actually cheaper.

hadriker4639d ago (Edited 4639d ago )

thats still way more expensive than it needs to be. you could build a pc that would run BF3 on high for about 200.00 less.(just switching to an i5 instead of an i7 would save a person an easy 50.00 - 100.00, and all you lose is hyper-threading, which is useless for games) While we don't know fir sure what kind of machine will be needed to get BF3 on high or ultra, basing what we know about the closed alpha and statements made by Dice, the one you linked would probably get high settings (i think people are over estimating the frostbite engine, its an incredibly well optimized engine) ultra is probably where you would start running into problems though. but then again ultra is for those hardware enthusiasts that like to get everything they can out of their system, as it should be.

Pekka4639d ago

"You can play your PC with an Xbox360 or PS3 controller from your couch...on any viewing screen from multiple monitors to your HDTV. "
Except almost all games on PC are practically unplayable on Xbox360 or PS3 controller.

"Free MODS. "
I don't really care about mods. Game should work perfectly directly from package with 0 tweaking. Not to mention, 99.9% of the free mods are pure crap and only make game worse.

"Free DLC almost always. "
I never buy DLC and I don't care about DLC anyway, whether it's free or not.

"In the end PC gaming is actually cheaper"
Is it? With console you can be sure that game you buy works perfectly, even if console is 6-7 year old. Does your rig run PC games perfectly 6-7 years from now with no updates (neither on hardware nor OS)?

Autodidactdystopia4639d ago (Edited 4639d ago )

No our rigs don run things 7 years out because our games get new technology. so the old crud wont do after 7 years.

So the reason we cant play games 7 years after we build our pc because by that time they are releasing MUCH better games and pushing the envelope of visual physical and gameplay fidelity not just more of the same.

it is that reason that we dont slide into a massive circle jerk of denial thinking that devs should still be excited about our old and aging hardware and rationalize about all of the money we are saving because our hardware which used to cost 600 is now worth 200 and somehow our severely diminished experience given our ancient hardware is somehow justified by a price that directly reflects its value and a mere argument that it is guarunteed to work and that we can play on our couch.

@pekka

runs them perfectly at the crappiest settings possible. Raise the bar much?

StoneyYoshi4639d ago

you could go around 700 and run everything maxed. just don't go cheap on the video card and you will be golden. if i went 20 bucks more to get the 6870 instead of the 6850 id have no issues running crisis 2 in dx11

B00M4639d ago

You would have problems. A 6870 playing Crysis 2 maxed in 1080p with tessellation on and high res textures gets FPS below 25 most of the time, sometimes really low.

RedDead4639d ago (Edited 4639d ago )

Yeah this is my plan too. Just need the money though. Was thinking 700 would be enough after some research.

SantistaUSA4639d ago

hey Alpha, i enjoy building PC, I spent over $2k on my as well, with $1K you build a fairly powerful computer. If you need some tips or have questions, I would be glad to help you out.

FlameBaitGod4639d ago

U should check tigerdirect.com for parts(thats where i built my $1600 gaming rig :D). Or if you have a local compusa near by(same thing as tiger direct)

TOSgamer4638d ago

Jeez, some of you people need to learn how to comparison shop, use cashback sites and deal sites. $2k for a 4 core desktop that doesn't sport 2 or 3 video cards is ludicrous.

+ Show (7) more repliesLast reply 4638d ago
-Mika-4640d ago

It still more expensive than a console.

5yN4MWQU4640d ago

What many console fanboys do not take into account is the following:

- You need a computer to perform your everyday duties (work, school work, and general web entertainment).
- You probably overpaid for a pre-built, non-gaming system from the local retailer.
- You could pay the same price (~$550 -> $700 for an awesome one) to get a gaming PC, which will handle your everyday tasks -and- your gaming functions.

The simple fact is that PCs are more versatile, but with that said -- hey, play what you like. If you like a console, go play it. If you like PCs, go play them. It's really not hurting anyone's feelings, just play what you want to play with your free time -- we all know that is rare these days.

-Mika-4640d ago

-The thing is my computer works perfectly fine so i don't want to pay that much for a computer.

-Playing games on the computer are uncomfortable. I would rather just lay back on my couch or bed and play my games. I don't want to sit up and play. It just really bad for the back.

The simple fact is consoles are more easier to setup and play. It more cheaper and comfortable to play. I think that what pc fanboys need to understand.

Baka-akaB4639d ago

anyone that stubborn about playing from the couch can with a pc . It's up to you and your choice of options .

Consoles are fine too , and taks probably 70% of my gaming time , but just like pc fanboys , you guys need to drop the mytho bullsh*t

xX_Altair_Xx4639d ago

The versatility argument is more hypothetical than real: I have both a PC to play games and a laptop for uni work as well as consoles. Most people I know have laptops for work since they can take it anywhere. They can't play games on their laptops so they buy consoles.

HenryFord4639d ago (Edited 4639d ago )

@-Mika-:
There is just something wrong with your logic that you need to realize: A PC can be hooked up to your TV. Yeah, I know, it's unbelivable.
And then just use your controller on the PC as well, you can easily play on the couch if you want to. I do that all the times for many games - the nice thing is: Want to play a highly competitive FPS after your casual gaming-time? Just go to your desk and take mouse and keyboard again, everything is working fine.

And yes - I do own a console (XBox 360 specifically), but I only own it for the exclusive nowadays, if a game is on PC - I will go for that. All the time.

@xX_Altair_Xx:
No, no it's not. It is a real argument, but there are a lot of people who just don't utilize it that way. BUT - if you want to, you can make your PC to a media-monster, playing all your favourite movies/shows at the click of a button (yes, yes you can attach a remote and use it from your couch), play games, surf the web, etc. . The versatile argument is not hypothetical - at least not for me.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4639d ago
Letros4640d ago

You get what you pay for, a better experience isn't free.

-Mika-4639d ago

Im paying a few extra hundreds dollars for better graphics. Im srry but it just not worth it.

Letros4639d ago

Your loss, have fun with BF3: Lite, 12v12.

Xalaris4639d ago

Everything was fine until you mentioned that.
Here come the flames.

uYaSouL4639d ago

and have fun forgetting which keys do what.

solar4639d ago

@ uYaSoul

you mean too many keys is too hard for you?

Letros4639d ago

Yea, a human with an IQ higher than a monkey can use a keyboard, who's typing for you uYasoul?

FlameBaitGod4639d ago

I think he forgot he can use the 360 or ps3 or any Logitech controller out there on PC. Oh he didn't forget, its just that he talks about things that he knows nothing about which makes him look bad :(

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 4639d ago
rajman4639d ago

I've just recently bought a gaming PC for £600 (specs below) anyone know if it will run Battlefield 3 @ 1080p max settings? I probably wont get 60fps, but I'll be happy with 30fps
- AMD Phenom X6 1100T AM3 Six Core 3.3ghz
- 8 GB DDR3 1333 PC10660 Memory (Kingston)
- Asus GeForce GTX 560 Ti Top Directcuii - 1 GB GDDR5 - PCI-Express 2.0
- OCZ ZS Series 750W 80PLUS Bronze Power Supply
- Windows 7 64 bit software

Sieg4639d ago

You can't really max out BF3 at 1920x1080 with a 560ti with all of the eye candies. You can tone down the AA and AT to get 30+fps. BF3 can really scale massively. You can try maxing out metro 2033 or the witcher 2. If you can do good, then you can do good in BF3.

rajman4639d ago

Thanks, it should be delivered to me in the next couple of days so I will do alot of tests, to be honest I'll be happy playing at 1280x720 since my monitor is only 21' so hopefully I can max out the settings (or nearly), plus I was told my 560 TI has been OC'd to 900 MHz...compared to 830 MHz on the standard 560 TI, will that really help?

hadriker4639d ago

its like people have played the game with different setting and know what and when to max.

I am seriously getting tired of people just guessing and passing it off as fact.

hiredhelp4639d ago

were u shop to man. im in uk you over paid slightly dude. i have i7 2x 560 not ti not always needed. pm me buddy

Sieg4639d ago

It will help a little bit. Like 2-5 fps extra in certain games. If you want really good performance without breaking the bank. You can get another 560ti later on for SLI. That's what I'm doing with my 6850 right now.

rajman4639d ago

I may get a 2nd card in a few months, but what is SLI? is it the same as crossfire? if not, whats the difference?

Karum4639d ago

SLI is the nvidia equivalent of crossfire

Flavor4639d ago (Edited 4639d ago )

Rajman your rig will absolutely conquer BF3. I played the alpha on a oc'd core 2 duo with 4gb ddr2 from 2006 on freakin vista home basic 64 and got 60fps maxed out at 1600x1200. This was with 12x edge detect morphological AA on a 6870. And they say the alpha is non optimized.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4639d ago
zackacloud4639d ago

2k for PC

Or 2k for 3DTV(less than 1k from Samsung) and console(250$) and hometheater(500$) with some games.

But WOW! really if you notice even 10K can't do a lot for us these days ( for the life matters not just games ).

5yN4MWQU4639d ago

You can purchase 3D Vision gaming equipment (developed and sold by nVidia, Acer, and ASUS - we reviewed it in depth at the link below) for around $400 (monitor + glasses). You're buying a video card for your PC anyway, so might as well go with 3D Vision if that really concerns you. Here's the review:

http://n4g.com/news/837178/...

Baka-akaB4639d ago

dont you guys get tired of speading BS on both side of the spectrum ?

you dont need 2k for a good 3dtv (wich you can even use if you want as a pc monitor) nor even 500k for hometheater .

Both 3d and home theater not even a actual need and as much an option on pc.

HenryFord4639d ago

500k for a home-theater would bring you some sick stuff ;)
Seriously - you are right though.

Show all comments (184)
150°

AMD Could Revolutionize Handheld Gaming In 2024

Shaz from GL writes: "AMD could spur the beginning of a new era in handheld gaming with their upcoming APUs"

Read Full Story >>
gameluster.com
rlow115d ago

To me the most important hardware is the battery. Doesn’t matter how powerful the chips are.

ABizzel115d ago

Eh…. It’s a combination of multiple things.

The battery is hugely important as it allows you to have ideally 4 - 5 hour gaming sessions.

The more powerful the processor the more games developers can share to the handheld, nd of course the better said games perform.

From there display, software, and ergonomics matter, as a good display/software will allow games to be more vivid, run at variable fps 30/40/60 ideally, and good ergonomics means it’s comfortable to play for said 4 - 5 hours. Everything else is gravy at that point.

rlow114d ago

I know we all want more power. But it’s sad that 4-5 hours is considered good now. It really shows how batteries have progressed at a much slower pace than hungry components.

redrum0615d ago

Of course it matters how powerful the chips are for it to be future proof. Don't you want to be able to play new games?

Neonridr15d ago

the Switch proves that you don't need the most cutting edge power out there to be successful.

RaiderNation14d ago

@Neonrdr that doesn't prove anything because only Nintendo could get away with that. Their games aren't the most complex/graphically ambitious and Nintendo fans don't care.

Vits14d ago

@Neonridr

If anything, the Switch proves the exact point "redrum06" was making. Yes, it might be successful, but it's definitely not future-proof. Just look at how many games and franchises completely skip the platform.

redrum0614d ago

I have a Switch, and recently got the Legion Go. I havent touched the Switch ever since, purely because of its inability to play even older games at a decent frame rate. For anyone wanting to play multiplatform games as well, people should skip the Switch.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 14d ago
Marcus Fenix15d ago

There’s no way you’re getting that 40CU 16-core APU in a handheld. That’s too hot and power hungry for that. The highest end APU they’re suggesting is going to end up in gaming laptops that can cool a 100W chip.

Jingsing15d ago (Edited 15d ago )

I think these articles get things a little out of perspective, Steam Deck has sold around 3 million and Switch has sold 140 million. But if you are browsing certain parts internet you'd think the Steam Deck had sold over 100 million. If articles are going to continue to circulate like this and continue to put the Steam Deck in the same arena then I'm comfortable calling the device a flop.

Neonridr14d ago

Steam Deck, while considerably more popular due to it's lower barrier of entry, is still a niche device with the likes of the ROG Ally and others.

I own one and it's really nice to be able to play some games on the go or in bed, but it'll never fully compete with a system like the Switch.

Skuletor14d ago

Especially when they're not in the same price range, the Switch is considerably cheaper.

gold_drake14d ago

sure but theres still a limit to what u can put in there ha. power consumption would be the biggest hurdle. and cooling.

Demetrius14d ago

I wana try out a pc handheld but I would like to experience a steady framerate etc I don't wana have to keep going into my settings trying to make things smoother in gameplay, that's the only thing that's been keepin me from getting one I've heard others having to go into the settings time from time that'll be annoying

270°

AMD gaming revenue declined massively year-over-year, CFO says the demand is 'weak'

Poor Xbox sales have affected AMD’S bottom line

Read Full Story >>
tweaktown.com
RonsonPL29d ago

Oh wow. How surprising! Nvidia overpriced their RTX cards by +100% and AMD instead of offering real competition, decided to join Nvidia in their greedy approach, while not having the same mindshare as Nvidia (sadly) does. The 7900 launch was a marketing disaster. All the reviews were made while the card was not worth the money at all, they lowered the price a bit later on, but not only not enough but also too late and out of "free marketing" window coming along with the new card generation release. Then the geniuses at AMD axed the high-end SKUs with increased cache etc, cause "nobody will buy expensive cards to play games" while Nvidia laughed at them selling their 2000€ 4090s.
Intel had all the mindshare among PC enthusiasts with their CPUs. All it took was a competetive product and good price (Ryzen 7000 series and especially 7800x3d) and guess what? AMD regained the market share in DYI PCs in no time! The same could've have happened with Radeon 5000, Radeon 6000 and Radeon 7000.
But meh. Why bother. Let's cancell high-end RDNA 4 and use the TSMC wafers for AI and then let the clueless "analysts" make their articles about "gaming demand dwingling".

I'm sure low-end, very overpriced and barely faster if not slower RDNA4 will turn things around. It will have AI and RT! Two things nobody asked for, especially not gamers who'd like to use the PC for what's most exciting about PC gaming (VR, high framerate gaming, hi-res gaming).
8000 series will be slow, overpriced and marketed based on its much improved RT/AI... and it will flop badly.
And there will be no sane conclusions made at AMD about that. There will be just one, insane: Gaming is not worth catering to. Let's go into AI/RT instead, what could go wrong..."

Crows9029d ago

What would you say would be the correct pricing for new cards?

Very insightful post!

RonsonPL29d ago

That's a complicated question. Depends on what you mean. The pricing at the release date or the pricing planned ahead. They couldn't just suddenly end up in a situation where their existing stock of 6000 cards is suddenly unsellable, but if it was properly rolled out, the prices should be where they were while PC gaming industry was healthy. I recognize the arguments about inflation, higher power draw and PCB/BOM costs, more expensive wafers from TSMC etc. but still, PC gaming needs some sanity to exist and be healthy. Past few years were very unhealthy and dangerous to whole PC gaming. AMD should recognize this market is very good for them as they have advantage in software for gaming and other markets while attractive short term, may be just too difficult to compete at. AI is the modern day gold rush and Nvidia and Intel can easily out-spend AMD on R&D. Meanwhile gaming is tricky for newcomers and Nvidia doesn't seem to care that much about gaming anymore. So I would argue that it should be in AMDs interest to even sell some Radeon SKUs at zero profit, just to prevent the PC gaming from collapsing. Cards like 6400 and 6500 should never exist at their prices. This tier was traditionally "office only" and priced at 50$ in early 2000s. Then we have Radeons 7600 which is not really 6-tier card. Those were traditionally quite performant cards based on wider than 128-bit memory bus. Also 8GB is screaming "low end". So I'd say the 7600 should've been available at below 200$ (+taxes etc.) as soon as possible, at least for some cheaper SKUs.For faster cards, the situation is bad for AMD, because people spending like $400+ are usually fairly knowledgable and demanding. While personally I don't see any value in upscallers and RT for 400-700$ cards, the fact is that especially DLSS is a valuable feature for potential buyers. Therefore, even 7800 and 7900 cards should be significantly cheaper than they currently are. People knew what they were paying for when buying Radeon 9700, 9800, X800, 4870 etc. They were getting gaming experience truly unlike console or low-end PC gaming. By all means, let's have expensive AMD cards for even above $1000, but first, AMD needs to show value. Make the product attractive. PS5 consoles can be bought at 400$. If AMD offers just a slightly better upscalled image on the 400$ GPU, or their 900$ GPU cannot even push 3x as many fps compared to cheap consoles, the pricing acts like cancer on PC gaming. And poor old PC gaming can endure only so much.

MrCrimson29d ago

I appreciate your rant sir, but it has very little to do with gpus. It is the fact that the PS5 and Xbox are in end cycle before a refresh.

RonsonPL28d ago

Yes, but also no. AMD let their PC GPU marketshare to shrink by a lot (and accidentally helped the whole market shrink in general due to bad value of PC GPUs over the years) and while their console business may be important here, I'd still argue their profits from GPU division could've been much better if not for mismanagement.

bababooiy29d ago

This is something many have argued over the last few years when it comes to AMD. The days of them selling their cards at a slight discount while having a similar offering are over. Its not just a matter of poor drivers anymore, they are behind on everything.

RNTody29d ago (Edited 29d ago )

Great post. I went for a Nvidia RTX 3060Ti which was insane value for money when I look at the fidelity and frame rates I can push in most games including new releases. Can't justify spending 3 times what my card cost at the time to get marginal better returns or the big sell of "ray tracing", which is a nice to have feature but hardly essential given what it costs to maintain.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 28d ago
29d ago Replies(1)
KwietStorm_BLM29d ago

Well that's gonna happen when you don't really try. I want to support AMD so badly and give Nvidia some actual competition but they don't very much seem interested in challenging, by their own accord. I been waiting for them to attack the GPU segment the same way they took over CPU, but they just seem so content with handing Nvidia the market year after year, and it's happening again this year with their cancelled high end card.

MrCrimson29d ago

I think you're going to see almost zero interest from AMD or Nvidia on the gaming GPU market. They are all in on AI.

RhinoGamer8829d ago

No Executive bonuses then...right?

enkiduxiv29d ago

What are smoking? Got to layoff your way to those bonuses. Fire 500 employees right before Christmas. That should get you there.

Tapani29d ago (Edited 29d ago )

Well, if you are 48% down in Q4 in your Gaming sector as they are, which in absolute money terms is north of 500M USD, then you are not likely to get at least your quarterly STI, but can be applicable for annual STI. The LTI may be something you are still eligible for, such as RSUs or other equity and benefits, especially if they are based on the company total result rather than your unit. All depends on your contract and AMD's reward system.

MrCrimson29d ago

Lisa Su took AMD from bankruptcy to one of the best semiconductor companies on the planet. AMD from 2 dollars a share to 147. She can take whatever she wants.

Tapani29d ago

You are not wrong about what she did for AMD and that is remarkable. However, MNCs' Rewards schemes do not work like "take whatever you want, because you performed well in the past".

darksky29d ago

AMD prcied their cards thinking that they will sell out just like in the mining craze. I suspect reality has hit home when they realized most gamers cannot afford to spend over $500 for a gpu.

Show all comments (33)
100°

Make your next GPU upgrade AMD as these latest-gen Radeon cards receive a special promotion

AMD has long been the best value option if you're looking for a new GPU. Now even their latest Radeon RX 7000 series is getting cheaper.

Father__Merrin39d ago

Best for the money is the Arc cards

just_looken39d ago

In the past yes but last gen amd has gotten cheaper and there new cards are on the horizon making 6k even cheaper.

The arc cards are no longer made by intel but asus/asrock has some the next line battlemage is coming out prices tbd.

Do to the longer software development its always best to go amd over intel if its not to much more money even though intel is a strong gpu i own 2/4 card versions.